Train-controlled crossing gate



Patented Sept. 2l, 1926.

WILLIAM D. TICKNER, nncnAsnn, .LATE or JACKSON cnivfinn,l oiiioBYQFRANKe :BAUGHMAM ani/timeframes,- oF-*Jnoirsomcniirna loHro;V f

'rRAINooNTR'oLLnnZCROSSINGGarn;

Application filed February 5,, 1926. Serial iNo.- 86,219.

Thef'pre'sent-invention pertains to'gates 'for guarding railroad-crossings; and it conteniplatestheprovisionof an equipment, easy and inexpensive of installation and reliable in operation, whereby gate'isicontrolled by atraintraversing the crossing; the'- scheme of tmplating the lowering of the gate by the pr'snceof the train at al point suti'ciently remote from'the'crossing7 vandthe release ot thegate when the train reaches appoint sufticientll'yl remote Vfrom Yaiidfbeyond the crossing.- y l Another object of theinvention is the provisio'ipi: means* complementary to v the gate vvlierebyi 'whe'nrelea'se'd the gate will gravita i g tnally return 'to an" idle posit-ionl soas to clear thel crossing' 'andbe'rin readiness for# anotherf'op'erfation.

1 Other 'objects'and practical 'advantages of thea invention willi be illyl'un'derstood from the follewii'igjdescripltiony and claims when p lay improvement way'andareprwirled'wth'the compa. Y

the saine" arl readj in connectionl` with' the drawings; accompany-ing' and Jforming parti of this specification, inwhic Y Figure l."E a? View: illustrating the gate of in closed position.' 1 Figure I2 lis a plan' Qt" fr trlledaid operated' by' trainfaction in acc'rdaiicewitlifmy inventionl 'l Figure f3" i'sa detail View, partl'yigin v section and partly in elevati'on illustrative' of the ltrlniechanical means'- r bringing about Figurelt isff'a perspective ot' the armature element compris-ed-v in' said electro-inechani'- en ineans.- Y

Figure 5 is a viewsimil'ar to lligure"3` but illustrating the electro-mechanical means for releasing the gate ater a train has traversed the' crossing. t v Y Similar numerals ot reference designate corresponding parts'in all ot the views ot tliedraw'ingsv and at25is'show'n a highway i'ntersecte'dv by the said'railway,V while atB and 4i are shownV a railroad crossingV the invention con View r showing two gates 'invention and designed? tobe con-'- at opposite sides of the highway, the' pivotal Aconnectionr ot crossing gates r which arelocated atopp'osite sides oi"therairl:V

heavyvarins 6 yso that normally they willbe Yreturned to and maintained in idle and-sub# stantially uprightposition.

The gates 5v areshownasequipped with" alarm bells 7, and 4with *incandescente'lectric* lamps V8, but these appurtenances are not of my invention and may tlieretor'ef when4 691' means associated with*the-gatesareidenticalt in# construction,y andftherefreg. the elec-trol mechanical means Jfor lowering one gate` andi. the electromechanical means for releasing' 7.0 the same gate will, whentully describedrbesutcientr to impart; aideiii'iiteJ understanding ofthe control and operationfotf'both"gates; t Referring therefore, tol Figure I 3;-it'y willil beunderstood thatthepivotl of thegatex: Z5. in said iigure-isin theforin oiia trunnion';y journaled-'in appropriate lbearings inthe post 3; and it'v will also belunder-stoodthat ontlie1 said'trunnion Sistined an-'armatureQff It? willal'sobe'understoodfthat h'ousedlwith the'y 3Qv arniature'- 9 -in the post' 3f andI opposedt-o the-- said armature@9-isl` an el'ectromagnet10;` thel winding; of the said. electromagnet lObeing-g electrically connected by f wires orjaotlier ap-Y propriate conductors 11y with 4spacedv termii t' 85, nalslQ-I located atfone side of and' atfa siiiivr-` cient distance from? the 'highwayl-y 2". Itfwill'* th'erefore5'be seen that thel electrornalgnetIl 103 islcomprised Iina :normally open electric vcir'-` Vc'uit; and" at th'ispoiiity I wouldfhave it iin-rV 90T,

derstood' that the electricV energy necessary to my improvement .may Vbefarran'ged inlined relation tothe gate location: formayfbe car.Y ried onl atrain, as dictated-by the-discretion` ottlieinanufacturer, the scheine offmyfin ,95s vention contemplating the supply-oflcurrent to the niagnetl() when one ormore brushes 'i i t Y f on. at'rain arefin contact with on'el'ormore 'At-'I3 are illustrated the rails ot a railway Y senerinailfe'pea Velsesv terruption of the electric circuit alluded to,

the electromagnet will be deenergized, and hence will not interfere in any measure with the raising of the gate by the gravitational action of the arm 6.

Housed in the post 4 is an electromagnet s 20, and arranged in opposed relation to the said magnet 2O is an armature 21 movable rectilinearlyand carried at the inner end ofv a rod 22, t ie outer end of which is shaped to form a beveled latchhead 23. Surrounding the rod 22 and interposed between the latch head 23 and the adjacent wall of the post 4 is a coiled spring 24, the function of which is to yieldingly maintain'the head 23 in the position shown inFigure 5, and to return said head to said 2O is deenergized.

At the right of Figure 2, are shown in the Vrailway and between the rails thereofshoes 30 spaced apart-and connected by conductors -5 31 with the winding of the electromagnet 20. 3,5 lVhen this arrangement is adopted and a sourcerof electric energy is arranged in the position when the magnet normally open circuit including the magnet.

20 and the shoes 30, it will be understood that bridging of the shoes 30, that is to say, 40 the electric connection ,y thereof will be atg tended by completion of thecircuit and by energization ofthe magnet 2() whereupon the armature 2l will be attracted to the 'magnet, and the gate 5 will be released from the latch into Vwhich the gate hadv previously engaged, thensaid release being e'lfected in order that the Agate may be returned to its normaleidle substantially upstanding position by the gravitational action .ofthe com? paratively heavy arm 6 of the gate it is preferred in association with the gate 5 and the latch or latch head 23 to employ an appropriate guard 40 onthe post and opposite the i forward end Vof the latch head 23. The said V5.5 guard 40 will voperate on downward movef ment of the free end of the gate to assure proper cooperation between the gate and the latch head 23 for the inward movement ofV f the said latch head 23, land thisr against the action of the spring 24 so that after the gate portion'has reached a position below the Vlatch head 323, the spring 24 will operate to lreturnV the latch head to normal position and venable the same; to positively retain the gate 6 5 inthe closed position. WVhell, llCWGVeI, ,by

train action thecircuit including the wind-V ing of the magnet 20 is completed, the armature 21 will be attracted to the magnet, and the latch head 23 will be retracted and the gate will be released, and then the gate will, by the gravitational action before alluded to, be returned to and will be yieldingly that when a brush .on the train is in contact' with the shoe, the magnet 2O will be enerfL gized for the described release Vof the gate 5.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there is providedV a train controlled crossing gate equipment that iseasy of yin stallation, is inexpensive, and yisso reliable in operation as to recommend its employment for the important purpose of guard-Vj ing grade crossings. f

By virtue of the electromechanical vmeans of the improvement being housed in hollow gate posts as illustrated and described, the said electromechanical ,mechanisms are protected against the weather and against mischievous tampering without the employment of any extraneous means such as auxiliary casings which in addition to increasing the cost of insulation would be objectionable because of the' increased extent provision of the same.

The present and preferred embodiment of the invention in all of its details has been described in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of said embodiment, It is not desired, however, to be understoodi as confining the invention to the specific construction Vand relative arrangement ofthe parts as disclosed, the' invention being dened bythe appended claims within. the, Yscope of which changes in, structure and 10o entailed in the changes in arrangement may bemade wjithout departure from the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed and 'desired to secure by Letters Pat-V ent, is:-

1. The combinationof 'posts located ,atV opposite sides; of a highway intersecting a railway, a crossing gate pivotally connected with one of Vsaid posts, electromechanical means for moving the gate from either position to working position, 'said electromechanical meansoperable by a train .approaching the crossing, and fbein'g associated with one of the posts, means tending when the gate is released to move the gate to idle position, means associated with the other post for'detachably securing the gate' in working position, and `electromechanical means complementary to such other posts for releasing the gate and permitting of the same being moved to idle position; the last named electromechanical means being operable by a train as the train is moving away from the crossing.

2. The combination of posts located at opposite sides of a railwayV crossing, said posts of hollow formation, a crossing gate arranged alongside of one of said posts and having a triinnion journaled therein and also having a comparatively heavy arm, an armature fixed to` and movable with said trunnion, and located and movable in the post, an electromagnet also located in the post and arranged in yopposed relation to said armature whereby energization of the lmagnet will be attended by lowering of the gate to working position, and electric, train controlled means for bringing about energization of the magnet when atrain is at a predetermined distance at one side of the crossing, with electromechanical means in` to Working position, and electromagnetic means whereby when a train reaches a predetermined pointfbeyond the crossing thel gate will' be by train controlled electric action released.

3. The, combination of a hollow post, a guard on said post and exterior thereof, a gate movable vertically toiand from a position between` the guard and the adjacent portion of the post, an electroma'gnet inthe post, a rectilinearly movable rod guided in the post and having withiny the same, an armature opposed to the electromagnet and also having exterior of the post and between the same and the said guard a beveled head,

and the adjacent side of the post.

7 FRANK BAUGHMAN,

4o and a spring interposed between said head Administrator of William D. Tiomer, de-

ceased. 

